Method of and means for manufacturing stretchers and the like



June 4, 1929. s, 5, JENKINS 7 1,715,707

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MANUFACTURING STRETCHERS AND THE LIKE Fi led Nov. 25, 1925 4 Irtfi't%+% im WWW 2 I Patented June 4, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STANLEY S. JENKINS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LIVEZEY SURGICAL SERVICE, INC., 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MANUFACTURING STRETCHERS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed November 25, 1925. Serial No. 71,327.

This invention relates to stretchers for use in connection with a lifter, such as that disclosed in my Patent #1,450,95O of April 10, 1923, or that disclosed in my application Serial No. 71,327, filed Nov. 25, 1926, but while particularly designed for use in connection with invalid lifters and carriers, the features of the invention are susceptible of wide application and in various arts. More particularly, the invention relates to a peculiar type of stretcher construction, to a method of con struction adaptable for stretchers and other applications, and to a device adapted to be used in the construction and operation of the stretcher or in like applications.

Heretofore stretchers have been constructed with the canvas or other material forming the seat or bed of the device firmly or fixedly secured to the frame members in a substantially permanent manner. WVith this prior type of construction it was difiicult, if not impossible, to remove old, soiled and unsanitary canvas or other material of which the stretcher body was made, from the frame members to replace or clean it. It often occurred in this type of construction that the canvas, after some length of use, became baggy from the stretching at different points unequally with the Weights and strains imposed upon it, but no means were ever provided to take up this slackness resulting in an unsightly and uncomfortable arrangement. \Vith my invention 1 am enabled to overcome all the above noted difficulties and limitations of construction and use, and to provide a structure at once simple, efficient, practical and sanitary.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a stretcher construction in which the canvas body, bed or seat portion may be ti fhtly stretched and secured to a stretcher frame and removed or replaced at will and with the'least possible expenditure of time or trouble.

Another object is to provide a stretcher construction whereby the canvas or other supporting material may be placed beneath the patient or to one side of the patient and the patient rolled, slid or otherwise placed thereon, the stretcher frame placed in position around the patient and canvas, and the canvas connected to the frame which may then be lifted and transported by the apparatus described in the patent or application hereinabove noted.

A further object is to provide a simple and efficient frame of novel construction for use in connection with the above specified construction which will be strong and durable, easily cleaned and kept clean under any conditions and one which may be easily manufactured at low cost.

A still further object is to provide a unique type of tool or apparatus for use in assembling the stretcher bed or seat and frame and which may be manufactured as a necessary adjunct of the stretcher.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention including details of construction will become apparent from the description and claims and from the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a stretcher constructed in accordance with one of the invention. I Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is an enlarged sectional detail taken on the line a e of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the canvas inserting tool.

'lhroughout the specification and claims I shall refer to the stretcher bed support or body as composed of canvas for such is the usual material. for this purpose, but in using this word canvas 1 do not intend to limit myself to the textile material known by this name, for as a matter of fact and as will be readily appreciated, any material of a flexible nature and adapted to be used in stretcher construction may be utilized to form the body, bed, or seat portion of the stretcher and to perform all its functions.

Referring to the dravving,- a stretcher frame composed of longitudinal members 2 and 3, spaced and connected by horizontal members 4 and 5 is adapted to be covered by a canvas bed, seat, or support 6. The members 2 and 3, while indicated asof tubular cross section may be of any preferred form or construction and need not be formed of metal as shown if other material is preferred, but in either case slots indicated at 7 must be formed therein to provide an undercut construction for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The spacing and bracing memadaptation bers 4: and 5 are also preferably formed of metal tubes, although they may be made of any well known and approved material, and if of metal, are joined to the longitudinal members 2 and 3 by welding, soldering, brazing, or in any other suitable manner.

In order that the canvas 6 may be stretched taut between the longitudinal frame mem-.

here 2 and 3, the slots 7 are made of such width that they are slightly wider than two thicknesses of the canvas 6 and wide enough to receive a wheel 8 of a cable inserting device between the marginal edges thereof. This device includes a yoke portion indicated at 9 between the arms of which the wheel 8 is revolubly secured, a body portion 10 adapted to engage and secure one end of a cable or the like 11 which will be hereinafter termed a locking means, and a portion 12 to which a handle 13 is pivotally secured.

The cable or other locking means 11 is preferably of a diameter or width greater than the Width of the slots 7, so that when it is disposed within the tubular members 2 and 3, it Will not pull through the slot, but may be of any width, such, that with the addition of one thickness of the canvas 6, it will not be susceptible-of being pulled outwardly through the slot. The canvas 6 is adapted to be folded and passed through the slots at points along its longitudinal marginal edges, and the cables 11' are passed through the loops 14 formed by folds passed through the slots to lock them therein and within the members 2 and 3. This preferably leaves depending marginal portions 15 of the canvas to form a marginal draped cover for the sides of the stretcher frame, but it will be appreciated that these marginal edges need not be provided and the canvas may be terminated at any suitable point between the slot 7 and the points of termination shown.

In order to simplify the insertion of the cables or other locking means 11 in the loops of the canvas within the members 2 and 3, I have devised the arrangement or tool, illustrated more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5, the component parts of which have hereinabove been described. The wheel 8 is of a width or thickness adapted to pass between the marginal edges of the slots 7 and to roll the canvas which has been previously placed across the mouth of the slot, downwardly through the slot and into the interior of the tubular elements 2 and 3 to provide the loops 14, while the body portion 10 of this inserting device is of such size that it is capable of being passed longitudinally Within the tubular elements 2 and 3 fromend to end thereof and to lay or thread the cable or other locking means 11 within the loop 14 as it passes therethrough.

The slots 7 preferably extend from end to end of the tubular elements 2 and 3 in order that the inserting tool may be started from either end thereof, although it will be apparent that the slot may terminate short of one end if open at the other. The cable or other locking means 11 is provided at the end opposite the inserting device with a button or other stop device 16 adapted to engage the marginal edges of the ends of the members 2 and 3 to prevent the ends of the cables from being pulled through them. The cable 11 is preferably permanently secured in the body member 10 of the inserting device and when it is desired to insert the cable Within the loops 14, the wheel and body are gradually entered at one end of a member 2 or 3 and pulled by the operator grasping the handle 13 longitudinally of the slot. During this operation the wheel 8 Will carry the canvas down through the slot while the body member 10 simultaneously lays, inserts, or threads the cable through the loop formed. The cable is of such length preferably, that the in serting device may pass no further than to the opposite end of the member 2 or 3 and at this point the handle 13 may be folded backwardly to the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 5 and infull lines in Fig. 2 to dis )ose it out of the way.

tretcher carrier chains 17 depending from a carrier, such as those to which reference has above been made, are shown connected to lugs 18 welded or otherwise secured to the members 2 and 3. Obviously, however, the construction illustrated may be used for hand stretchers of any other type or kind.

The stretcher, when constructed as above specified, is extremely simple to operate or manipulate. Should the patient, for instance, be unable to move himself or herself onto the stretcher, the attendant may spread the canvas seat or bed beside the patient and gently move him or her upon it, or may readily slide the canvas beneath the patient. Thereafter the frame of the stretcher is bodily placed over and about the patient and the canvas connected thereto. The stretcher carrier chains are then connected to the eye-lugs 18 and the patient lifted for transportation. Should the canvas become soiled or baggy it may be quickly changed or tautened, as will be obvious.

From the foregoing itis believed that the construction, operation, novelties and advantages of my invention will be fully appreciated and understood, but since many variations and modifications and changes may be made in the construction, operation and arrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention, I do not desire to be limited to the specific form shown and described, but only by the said spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An inserting device comprising, means for depressing flexible material within an undercut slotted member to form a loop therein and for simultaneously drawing a locking means of a thickness greater than the Width of the slot at one portion thereof, through the formed loop from one end to the other.

2. An inserting device comprising, means for depressing flexible material Within an undercut slotted member to form a loop therein, means for simultaneously drawing a locking means of a thickness greater than the Width of the slot at its mouth through the formed loop, and means for operating said depressing and threading means.

3. An inserting device comprising, a rotatable Wheel adapted to depress flexible material Within an undercut slotted member to form a loop Within the slot and below the mouth thereof, means for simultaneously threading a locking means of a Width greater than the Width of the slot at its mouth through the formed loop, and a handle Whereby the said Wheel and threading means may be operated.

In Witness of the foregoing I affix my signature.

STANLEY S. JENKINS. 

